Q&A on Kevin Durant's new contract with Thunder

A:Five seasons. But the new deal doesn't begin until the 2011-12 season, which would keep Durant in town through the 2015-2016 season. Furthermore, there is no player option written into the contract, a clause league rules allow players and franchises to agree upon in case the player wants to bolt early. That means, barring a trade (highly unlikely), Durant will be in Oklahoma City for the next six seasons.

THE SON : Shown here celebrating with his grandmother following the Thunder's Game 4 victory of their first-round NBA Playoff series with the Lakers, Kevin Durant has made his family a part of everything. His father, Wayne Pratt, and his brothers work his basketball camp. His mother, Wanda Pratt, is a regular at Thunder games. And he announced his contract extension on Thursday via Twitter by writing, "God is great. Me and my family came a long way."

Q: How much money will Durant make?

A:The value of the deal originally was estimated to be between $85 million and $86 million. That was before the league announced a salary cap of $58.044 million for the 2010-11 season. Based on next year's cap, a maximum contract extension for Durant would allow him to earn $87.79 million. The exact amount, however, will not be known until the NBA releases the salary cap figures for the 2011-12 season. If the cap increases again, Durant could earn closer to $90 million.

Q: What does Durant's contract do to the Thunder's payroll for this coming season?

A:Nothing. Durant's new deal will not kick in until the 2011-12 season. Durant still has one more year remaining on his original rookie deal that will pay him $6.053 million this season. The Thunder will remain under the salary cap by more than $7 million even after Cole Aldrich, the No. 11 overall pick, is added to the books.